Review support to UPA, CPI tells parties

In a warning to the ruling UPA coalition, the CPI today asked its supporting parties to consider if they should continue with the alliance as its policies were "only benefiting" the rich and not the majority of the people.

Calling Finance Minister P Chidambaram "Mr Failure," party leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "For three months, his prescription (to bring down prices) has failed."

"The CPI calls upon Left and democratic parties supporting the government to consider what is the point in continuing to extend support to the government. It is a non-performing one which is working hard to provide benefits to Indian and foreign corporates," he told reporters here.

He said the Congress allies and the parties supporting the UPA should come out of the thinking that they should continue supporting the coalition to stop the BJP from returning to power.

"The BJP is regrouping only because of the policies being pursued by the government," he said.

Asked why his party was not taking the lead in withdrawing support to the government, Dasgupta said, "We cannot take a stand single-handedly. We are raising a debate among the Left parties and others who are supporting the UPA. We are asking them to make up their mind."

Quoting Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyer as saying that the 9.2 per cent growth of the economy was only for 0.02 per cent of the people, Dasgupta said, "We welcome the minister's statement and take it as a sign of introspection within the Congress party, especially after it suffered reversals in its fortunes in the recent electoral battles. The Congress owes an explanation to the people."

He said the Left parties would like to know from the government "why it has failed to contain inflation, why it has failed to properly implement the rural employment guarantee scheme and why land is being given for free to corporates in the name of SEZs."

He said no action had been taken to prevent hoarders and speculators, "who have stockpiled grain by taking loans from banks."

"No arrests have been made. The government has no political will to do so and is evading action," he added.

Dasgupta said the government had also failed in generating employment while the growth rate of billionaires in India was as high as 14 per cent, compared with 7 per cent globally. "During the ongoing session, the CPI will concentrate on failures of the UPA's economic policies and call for remedial measures," he said.

To questions on the OBC quota, Dasgupta said the Supreme Court must realise that the decision of Parliament was supreme. The apex court had the right to interpret law but Parliament had the right to make law, he said.

"Parliament can assert its sovereign right to even change the Constitution," said Dasgupta.